Family Skating Day!

Got up this morning and couldn't quite believe it.

Hearing rain at 25 degrees the end of November is not a good thing.

The trees sure look gorgeous being crusted with ice.

The vehicles .. not so much.

Took Tia to the bus stop this morning, waited 20 minutes for the bus, gave up and came home. Called the school to let them know that the bus hadn't shown up and she said they didn't know where it was either!

Anna to school ... and back home again 4 hours later.

Then off to Walmart. Thank goodness we went when we did.

Our vehicles were all wrapped in ice.

Note that the window is down to child safety level in this photo. The rest was just a sheet of ice.

I've added new foot wear ... ice cleats. Today I decided that I love the things.

They keep you standing upright!

Then there are the other people in our household who are too stubborn to put those things on. He was finally sold on borrowing them later in the day.

Maybe the Olympic Ice Skating Team coming up?!

I missed taking a picture of the back flip. (He's still complaining about that one!)

They were getting quite creative in their movements.

Walmart list included things like sand and ice melter stuff.

We may need more than Walmart sells. It is bad. That is not just wet.

It is a skating rink.

Later in the afternoon, Jari decides to head for the post office and bank in Palmer.

We have a hill (the one I always walk up to take fun mountain pictures) that we drive up to get out to the main road.

Let's say, ideally, we drive up that thing.

Not this afternoon.

Mind you, the truck tires are nearly as slick as the road itself.

After a near dive sideways down into the trees,

a run down to the house for sand bags to get out ...

the truck eventually made it back into the yard.

The help was enjoying a bit of free skate.

While they were out helping people get unstuck and skating their way home with a stop here and there to bonk a noggin ... I was hiding in the basement between snapping a photo here and there.

I got so much done today (my 4th day off in a row!) that I am just pumped.

I must say that I even unrolled a roll of Christmas wrapping paper today .... and wrapped my first gift. I had so much fun putting it all together. I'm getting excited!!

Being home also means a person gets to make dinner.

Gets to make dinner.

Never thought I'd say that!

We had a slice of pizza at Wally & Lisa's the other week that was absolutely delicious and I've been craving it ever since.

I don't make pizza.

Frans, when he lived with us, would ask "are you buying it or making it?" when I would say dinner was pizza. I've never been a pizza making pro.

Tonite it was scrumptious.

Chicken and tomato pizza with a sauce of sour cream, bbq sauce and ranch dressing.

Next time I'm adding spinach. Tia says she wants sea weed.

An evening of more Christmasy stuff going on in my basement nook.

Several games of Monopoly Deal that I failed to win.

The driveway has been graveled and should be navigable in the morning.

I still don't have a turkey. Couldn't get to the grocery store today.

I do have green bean casserole and stuffing. We'll be just fine!

By the way, Anchorage shopping was a success.

I found a few things.

I found out where I can't find the things I was looking for.

All in all ... it was progress!